Militant behind Tral blast arrested, his associates flee

Srinagar, October 13: Police on Friday claimed to have arrested a Jaish-e-Muhammad militant who it said had lobbed a grenade at bus stand Tral in which three civilians lost their lives and 30 others were injured.

A police spokesman in a statement issued to GNS said that acting on specific information, Awantipora police along with 42 RR and 180 Battalion CRPF launched a cordon and search operation at Naristan village of Tral. “During the search operation one militant Gulzar Ahmad Dar son of Ghulam Nabi resident of Nagbal Tral was apprehended. One Chinese pistol was recovered from his possession,” he said.

The apprehended militant joined JeM outfit after hurling a grenade upon motorcade of R&B Minister at bus stand Tral in which 3 civilians were killed and 30 persons including 07 CRPF and 02 police personnel were injured, the spokesman claimed.

“During sustained questioning, he admitted that he hurled the grenade on the instructions of JeM commander Mufti Vikas resident of PAK and Noor Mohammad Tantray resident of Darganie Gund Tral,” the police claimed further. The police said that Gulzar was earlier active with JeM outfit in 2014 and he has lobbed a grenade at bus stand Tral in which 05 persons lost their lives on 5th of December 2014.

“A case under FIR number 121/2014 under section 307/RPC, 2/5 Exp. Substance already stands registered in Police Station Tral. He was arrested and released after 2 years in January 2017. During further questioning, he admitted that his four associates (all foreigners) are hiding in a hideout in Pastuna forest Tral.

“Accordingly, a search operation was launched in the forest area. During searches, militants hiding in the hideout fired upon the search party. The fire was retaliated but taking advantage of the dense forest, militants managed to escape from the hideout. The search operation is going on,” the police said.(GNS)